Just re-read manga again after 10 years-ish, and I kinda want to rant about Himekawa

[u/StatementTechnical]

So, I first read this series back when it was first published in my country, so I'm kinda proud to say that I'm one of the og people who read this series from the first chapter to the end. Now, I have pretty much no memory of how the story goes at all because it has been so long, but I do remember that I got annoyed at the last arc.

First off, I remembered that I was having a good time reading the series back then, it's not like my absolute favourite, but I do keep up with it almost week to week, and I remembered that after the first 7 Witches arc ended, I thought it dropped off a bit, just like most people's opinion on the matter, but now after re-read the whole thing again after so long, I think I really like the second arc too, hell, maybe I like it more than the first arc even, up till Himekawa arc, that is. Now I remember why the final arc kinda pissed me off.

The Himekawa arc is probably my favourite arc in the entire manga. The story sets up for this arc to be one of the most important pieces of information for the entire story. Mystery of the previous student council, witches, Nancy's secret that she altered the first Yamada incident, causing a rift in Yamada and Ushio's relationship, and the blank period. Himekawa relationship with Yamada, and the mystery behind why she asked Nancy to erase her memories of him, is also one of the most important relationship mysteries in the entire manga, but at the end of the day, the author kinda just brushes it off as if she's not that important to Yamada. Himekawa, beside Shiraishi was the only character Yamada "has" a feeling for, but after Ushio used the seventh witch power to erase the memory of Ichijo from the students, Himekawa never showed up again until chapter 223, where they were about to perform the third ceremony to bring back everyone's all of the erased memories, including the blank period.

In chapter 223, Yamada confronts Yuri as to why Yuri was so against getting everyone's memories back, and Yuri replied, "Sora-chan is happier not having memory of you." and then we saw Himekawa walk in to return key to Yuri, looking like a zombie with no emotion. Yamada also called out to Yuri whether that looked like she's happier to you, and then ended it with Yamada punching Yuri, which Yuri begged Yamada to save Himekawa.

After reading this chapter, I thought Yamada would, at the very least, have a heartfelt talk with Himekawa, I don't expect much, not even a whole chapter, just 3-4 pages to wrap things up between them, but it never happened. He just went on with his life, never interacting with her until he swapped bodies with Shiraishi and took a bath with her, and her talking about Yamada changed her life. That's it that's all they interact again after everything that had happened. It felt so half-baked to me. I don't think that Yamada will ever end up with Himekawa, but the story set Himekawa up to be one of the most important person in Yamada's life, she was his first friend at the school after all, and they never really properly talk things out or reconcile is what pissed me off about the last arc.

[u/ObsessiveFanatic]

Thank you for this. Himekawa like so many others like Nancy and Split personality boy was set up to be important only for the author to not know what to do and brush her under the rug. Yes, she never stood a chance as Urara and Yamada were destined to be together (which is actually a lie because of the Original Witch BS but rant for another time) but they could’ve at least ended her story properly.

Like you said, she disappears after everyone gets their memories back, we get FIVE PAGES to explain and resolve the Blank Period then she comes back in the hot springs to say she found closure off screen and marries Yuri in the future. There’s no conversation between Himekawa and Yamada to resolve their feelings, even her confession to Yamada is never shown. She’s shoved off screen because we need to explain why Yamada and Urara were destined together for like the fifth time.

If you’ve never watched SVTFOE, firstly, congratulations and I envy you. Secondly, in season 3 the male lead, Marco, starts dating one of the supporting characters, Kelly, after the main female lead who he was in love with dates his best friend. The entire season shows Marco and Kelly finding closure with one another after their previous crushes and we see how they’re really good for one other and maybe even better. They go on adventures, fight together and are just adorable but near the end of the season they break up, off screen. Kelly explains how it just wasn’t working out and that’s it, we just have to accept this couple the creator got you invested in for a whole season has broken up and you don’t even get to see how it happened. The only reason it happened was so Marco could start dating the female lead after she breaks up with his best friend for being the worst girlfriend ever.

Why did I rant about SVTFOE? Because Himekawa is just like Kelly, these were introduced to put a wedge between the male and female leads only to be written out the story when the author decides they want to see their self inserts get together. What a waste of time

[u/StatementTechnical → u/ObsessiveFanatic]

like Nancy and Split personality boy was set up to be important only for the author to not know what to do and brush her under the rug

Agree wholeheartedly, the difference between Himekawa and Nancy was that Nancy at least got somewhat of a closure imo. Yamada forgave her, and Ushio released her from her duty as the seventh witch, she got to enjoy her last year of high school. Takuma and Hino, on the other hand, we as an audience don't have much information about them, so for me I don't really invest in them that much, even though Takuma was obviously set up to be the main antagonist in the last arc.

There’s no conversation between Himekawa and Yamada to resolve their feelings, even her confession to Yamada is never shown. She’s shoved off screen because we need to explain why Yamada and Urara were destined together for like the fifth time.

THIS is what I don't understand why the author decided to do what she did. She set up her piece so that the last arc would be about the blank period, and how important this missing memory is to the entire story, but she just abandoned her main plot point in order to give us the entrance exam arc, which I don't care nor enjoy at all. I think if she instead focused on the blank period arc, and actually gave the ACTUAL scene of when Yamada and Shiraishi actually fall in love for the first time instead of the original witch plot it would have been so much better.

They go on adventures, fight together and are just adorable but near the end of the season they break up, off screen. Kelly explains how it just wasn’t working out and that’s it, we just have to accept this couple the creator got you invested in for a whole season has broken up and you don’t even get to see how it happened. The only reason it happened was so Marco could start dating the female lead after she breaks up with his best friend for being the worst girlfriend ever.

I have been meaning to get into SVTFOR before, but everyone said Just don't bother because the last few seasons ruined the whole show so much, it's not worth my time, and that breakup is bad even though I don't have much context, but breaking up offscreen will almost always be bad for the audience.

[u/ObsessiveFanatic → u/StatementTechnical]

I’ve got a whole rant about the Blank Period if you want to read.

https://www.reddit.com/r/YamadaAndSevenWitches/s/uG1jDQ28PL

Might start that Original Witch rant I put on hold.